Did you know that there are around 3.2 million to 37.8 million influencers in the world? With this many influencers around the world, it does become difficult to choose an ideal influencer to represent your brand.

An ideal influencer must align with your business objectives and in the process make his followers believe in your brand as well. 

To have a bit more clarity while choosing your ideal influencer, you need to be aware of the different categories of influencers

Today, we’ll let you know about 11 different types of influencers on social media.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the following:

 

Types of social media influencers based on followers count

While browsing through anyone’s account on any social media platform, you do lay eyes upon the number of followers they have. The number of followers an individual has can be a crucial factor to analyze while searching for your ideal influencer.

Have a look at influencer categories below, based on the number of followers they have, with average engagement rate:

Type of influencer The number of followers Engagement rate (in %)
Nano Influencer 1000-10k followers 4.5%
Micro-Influencer 10K-100K followers 1.9%
Macro & Mega Influencer <100K followers 0.7%

Types of influencers with their engagement rates

1. Nano influencers

Nano influencers

Nano influencers are the type of influencers that have a follower count of 1000 to 10k.

These influencers have the strongest engagement rate with around 4.5% out of all the other influencer types. Why?

That’s because they mostly post niche-specific content. Nano influencers are quite cost-effective and can be a great option for small businesses with limited budgets.

2. Micro-influencers

Micro-influencers are the types of influencers that have followers between 10K to 100K. These influencers have a tight grip on their niche and boast the second-highest engagement rate with around 1.9%.

Micro-influencers have a very strong connection with their followers and just like them, their followers are passionate about the particular niche as well.

3. Macro influencers

Macro Influencers

Macro influencers consist of the influencer type that has a following of more than 100k. These influencers are considered to be the ones that are just steps away from receiving the ‘celebrity’ tag. They have an engagement rate of around 0.7%.

Macro influencers are generally preferred by big brands who wish to expand the brand awareness and reach of their products.

4. Mega influencers

Mega influencers are one of the most powerful influencer types. They boast a huge follower count that surpasses 1 million. These influencers consist of celebrities, Instagram personalities, sportspersons, and public figures.

Out of all the influencers types, mega influencers have the lowest engagement rate with around 0.37%. Mega influencers are approached by big brands with high budgets to expand their visibility and engage with a larger audience on social media sites.

 

Different types of influencers based on categories

5. Bloggers

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Bloggers are one of the most common influencer categories. These influencers have a blog of their own where they write about their daily lives along with incorporating their niche. They have a dedicated audience who reads their blogs regularly.

A blogger who posts regularly and has a decent following can work wonders for your brand. They can promote your brand in one of their blogs by giving you a shoutout. 

6. Subject matter experts

Subject matter experts are one of the top influencer categories that deal with hardcore niche-specific content. Subject matter experts might consist of doctors, professors, and physicists. 

A subject matter expert could be your ideal influencer to approach if you have to promote something extremely niche-specific that requires a detailed explanation.

7. Photographers

Photographers are yet another popular type of influencer found on social media. They have a social media page dedicated to their particular niche wherein they post high-quality portraits and landscapes.

Photographers can be your ideal influencers if you have to promote a product or an outlet. They could then post high-quality photographs of your brand that would eventually reach a larger audience.

8. Writers

Writers fall under the same category as bloggers. However, their content is not only restricted to the social media space. Their writings are published in the form of books, magazines, and journals. 

Writers build a strong connection with their readers over the years and even a small mention of your brand in their writings can prove to be quite beneficial for you. 

9. Activists

Activists are one of the most looked up to and respected types of Instagram influencers. These activists post content to promote a social cause and generate awareness regarding the cause.

Activists can be your ideal influencers if you want to promote your brand along with a social message. 

10. Journalists

In the list of social media influencers, journalists are one of the most trusted and sought-after influencers. These influencers try to give their audience news in the most unbiased and objective manner. 

Journalists have a very authentic and strong audience on social media. Therefore, receiving a shoutout from them can be quite beneficial for your brand. 

11. Opinion leaders

Opinion leaders are types of influencers on Instagram that have a working knowledge of their niche industry and have a significant amount of experience in that field. Opinion leaders might consist of entrepreneurs, CEOs, and professors.

Opinion leaders can be your ideal choice for influencers if you want to promote a niche-specific topic that requires an in-depth explanation. 

 

How to get in contact with influencers on social media?

Before the actual collaboration, you need to find a way to get in touch with your ideal influencers.

You can get in touch with your ideal influencers by following these steps:

1. Engage with the influencer’s content

Liking, commenting, and sharing an influencer’s posts is one of the best ways to show your appreciation and interest for their content. They might like your honest gestures that might result in having a good first impression. 

2. Create the perfect pitch

Pitch is one of the most crucial aspects that have to be taken care of while approaching an influencer. A good pitch should be written in a creative yet precise manner. The perfect pitch should consist of: the type of collaboration, the compensation offered, brand requirements, deadline, and duration of the collaboration. 

3. Choose an influencer marketing platform

Once you are done drafting your pitch, you need to reach out to your ideal influencers. You can do so by either, manually approaching influencers through DM (Direct Message), or by posting your requirements on an influencer marketing platform. An influencer marketing platform then finds a bunch of influencers that best suit your business objectives.

 

How to choose the ideal influencer for your brand?

Now that you know about the various types of influencers, let’s get you up to speed with the steps for choosing your ideal influencers.

Here’s how you can choose the ideal influencer for your brand:

1. Preferred social media platform

Before choosing your ideal influencer, you need to think about the social media platform where you want to expand or gain visibility. Also, you should try opting for a social media platform, where your niche has the most engagement and reach.

2. Analyze influencers’ content

Once you decide upon a social media platform, search for the influencers of your niche with the help of keyword and hashtag reach. Next, analyze the type of content these influencers post, the engagement they receive, and their connection with their audience.

3. Influencer discovery according to your objectives

Before finalizing your ideal influencer, you must cross-check if they align with your business objectives or not. The ideal influencers represent your brand on their social media space and therefore, you must carefully choose people that believe in your brand’s vision.

4. Build influencer strategy

You must build an efficient influencer strategy before approaching your ideal influencer. Your influencer strategy should cater to the content you require from the influencer, the platform you require for the promotion, the methodology to be used, and the desired ROI.

 

Conclusion

It almost feels like we see a new influencer every day in our feeds. It makes the process of choosing an ideal influencer even more difficult for your brand. However, as you are now aware of prominent types of social media influencers, your task of contacting and collaborating with influencers most likely has become a whole lot easier. 

If you still feel overwhelmed, you can try Happine.cc, a tool and dedicated team that will help you achieve your influencer marketing goals. So create your campaign now!